Mix Engineer Use of Metric Halo ChannelStrip Plug-Ins

Matteo Marciano - mix/recording engineer, bass player, studio musician, live performer, and songwriter, is using Metric Halo's ChannelStrip plug-in's. Marciano holds the position of chief professor at the Music Production and Engineering department at Master of Music from LUISS University in Rome. His credits include the mix of triple-platinum single Cups by Anna Kendrick, Frozen, Despicable Me 2, and Turbo, among many other music-for-picture work, and artists such as Idina Menzel, Astral Weeks, Lang Lang, and 2Cellos.

Marciano worked for over eight years all around the world as mix engineer and producer. He moved to New York City in 2013, where he continues to work for clients throughout the world.

“Since I discovered Metric Halo’s ChannelStrip plug-in in 2012, when it was mentioned in an online article, it’s been my secret weapon,” Marciano said. “I’ve used ChannelStrip on literally every vocal track and percussion track I’ve mixed in the past three years. Every single one! It’s remarkably versatile. I can use the EQ section alone and get utterly transparent results or I can engage the compressor and get a beautiful color. Either way, the sound quality is solid. Metric Halo’s plug-ins sound more analog than digital. It has a depth and clarity that blows my mind.”

Marciano does his work in the genres of pop, rock, metal, hip-hop, R&B, funk, electronic, and orchestral.

“I always start my mixes by getting the drums and vocals sounding great,” Marciano said. “Then I can build the rest of the mix around them. My first insert is always Metric Halo. I often use ChannelStrip’s compressor with the side-chain engaged, which allows me to dial in those aspects of the drums that need to be cleaned up. Metric Halo can be very surgical when I need it to be. I also use TransientControl on drums, which gives me incredible control over the sustain, gain, and dynamics without clouding the sound or squashing anything too much. It’s got the right flavor, especially for pop and rock.”

Marciano also applauded the fact that all Metric Halo plug-ins can be resized.

“It’s so helpful! Resizing a plug-in can be a real lifesaver after mixing for hours and hours. I don’t know why other companies don’t allow it.”

Marciano also commonly uses Metric Halo’s Precision De-Esser.

“I always advise vocalists to back off the mic for studio recordings, but they can seldom help themselves,” he said. “That tends to make sibilance problems worse, but it’s not such a big deal since I got Precision De-Esser. It’s a very powerful tool, and it’s also remarkably transparent. I can clean up a vocal track without taking anything away from the performance. There’s no compromise. And when I press the bypass button, it’s like ‘whoa, it’s really working!’”

As he goes on to craft the rest of the mix, Marciano stays faithful to the artist’s vision.